I called my session “The American Hip-hop Umma” and organized it around six guiding questions:

Why is there such a deep connection between Islam and Hip-hop culture?

How are different interpretations of Islam made manifest in Hip-hop?

How is gender represented in Islamic Rap?

Who listens to this music and what impact does it have?

After a period of intense popularity, why did Islamic rap suddenly lose its appeal?

What is the current state of Islamic rap?

I had way to much discuss for a 3 hour session, and I think the scholars were fairly overwhelmed with information. Happily, I’m available for guest lectures. 🙂

We had a great session, and in the afternoon, members of the group Native Deen joined us for Q&A and discussion. One of the pervasive themes of my session and of our conversation with Native Deen centered on the role of music in Islam. In a nutshell: the role of musician Islam is hotly debated. Some Islamic theologians maintain that music is forbidden, and others think music is the best way to praise Allah. But it’s a divisive issue, so Muslim musicians have difficult decisions to make about instrumentation, presentation, etc.

Group picture. I’m third from the left. The 3 members of Native Deen are front and center.

Want to know more? Here’s a bibliography I compiled for the scholars. I hear they are developing a website for public use as well. Happy reading!

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